Sleepy Sun Wakes Up Bottom of the Hill

Sitting through three opening bands in anticipation of a show’s main act shouldn’t be a chore, as it was at last night’s Noise Pop show at Bottom of the Hill. Ears ringing and head spinning after Kings & Queens and Dallas-based True Widow, local act the Lumerians saved the audience from calling it an early night with their organ-laden psych-synth sound and bongo beats—the perfect foreplay to Sleepy Sun’s power performance.

Opening with an energetic and entrancing duet, Rachel and Brett of Sleepy Sun dominated the stage (dressed in rainbow colors with the requisite face paint to match) and shook the crowd out of boredom with their crooning vocals, which successfully broke through shattering guitar riffs and throbbing drumbeats. Perfectly complementing each other on stage, these two ooze a chemistry that gives the band a powerful stage presence. Hitting their usual highs and lows with the boisterous “New Age” and “White Dove” to the melancholy piano solo “Lord,” the sextet far exceeded expectations, proving that a mastered studio album can play out even better live.